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Comment: This item is in good condition. All pages and covers are readable. There are no stains or tears. Dust jacket is present if applicable. May contain small amounts of writing and/or highlighting. Spine and cover may show signs of wear. May not contain supplementary items such as CD's or DVD's. We ship within 1 business day. Big Hearted Books shares its profits with schools, churches and non-profit groups throughout New England. Thank you for your support!

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The top-selling U.K. series for middle-grade readers now crosses the pond!

Meet Tom Gates. When his teachers don’t have their beady eyes on him, he likes to draw pictures and write about stuff, like last summer’s worst camping vacation ever (five merits!), or how much he hates sitting next to nosy Marcus Meldrew, the most annoying boy at school. All Tom really wants is to score tickets to see the best band ever, Dude3, when they come to town, and to impress Amy Porter, who is very nice and smart (but is currently ignoring him). Tom’s teachers think he is easily distracted and “lacks focus,” but that’s a bit harsh — can he help it if his grumpy big sister, Delia, made him late for school (again), or that last night’s homework had to be sacrificed to stave off a vicious dog attack? Master of excuses, creative storyteller, and middle-school comedian extraordinaire, Tom Gates is guaranteed to get kids turning the pages — and keep them laughing.

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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 3–5—Fifth-grader Tom Gates has a lot of negatives in his life. His older sister annoys him and he retaliates by playing tricks on her. His teachers assign too much homework and when he runs out of time to do it he offers over-the-top, fantastical excuses for why it's not done. Adding to these issues, his family has many mishaps, like failed camping trips and the dog chewing up his tickets to a rock concert. Tom endures it all with his penchant for doodling and writing about everything that happens. For example, whenever the teachers focus on him in class he creates doodles of them staring at him with their "beady eyes." This helps him feel better. His self-centered storytelling is over-the-top but will be enjoyed by those who can't get enough of Jeff Kinney's "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" books (Abrams/Amulet). The engaging illustrations are plentiful and will delight avid and reluctant readers alike. This title was originally published in the United Kingdom; some British words and phrases are sprinkled throughout. A humorous glossary explaining the Briticisms is appended.—Tina Martin, Arlington Heights Memorial Library, IL
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

The diary-style, comic novel gets a UK makeover with this look at Tom Gates’ fifth-grade year, documenting with hilarious detail every mishap (like forgetting about class-picture day) and success (like hiding his older sister’s sunglasses in some bagged salad). The handwritten font and cartoon drawings bring Tom’s experiences to life, making his struggles and dreams immensely relatable. ... Tom’s upbeat outlook and everyday trials will have readers laughing out loud and eager for this series’ next installment.—Booklist Online

How Tom makes peace with his teacher, Marcus Meldrow, and his sister and still gets to go to the Dude 3 concert will keep readers chuckling. Readers of Wimpy Kid books will love this series with a UK twist written by an award-winning British author.—Library Media Connection

Will be enjoyed by those who can’t get enough of Jeff Kinney’s “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” books. The engaging illustrations are plentiful and will delight avid and reluctant readers alike.—School Library Journal

Tom Gates can easily be seen as a British cousin to Jeff Kinney’s Greg Heffley. ... The book is typeset in a handwritten-looking font, accompanied by Tom’s doodles and text that he’s embellished for emphasis. ... [R]eaders who like their fiction heavily illustrated and their heroes mischievous should find it diverting.—Publishers Weekly

We like Tom and the exuberant way he illustrates his account of himself with little drawings and embellishments, and we sympathize with his efforts to conjure a dynamic logo for DogZombies, the band he has formed with his friend Derek. ... Life occasionally doles out difficulty to Tom Gates. ... Our hero may be mortified, but readers ages 9 to 12 won't mind a bit.—The Wall Street Journal

My middle school students love this book! Funny and charming! The level of text is not very difficult, but it will still capture the interest of most upper elementary and middle school readers. I wish the rest of the books in the series were more accessible here in the US.